Abstract

Shivam Gupta, Ravindra Mishra*, Vinay Jain

ABSTRACT

Background: Medicinal plants have historically provided significant supplies of bioactive chemicals. The worrisome rise in antibiotic resistance has made it more important than ever to find natural alternatives to antibiotics. Typha angustifolia L. and Echinops ritro are ethnomedicinally significant species recognised for their varied phytoconstituents; nonetheless, comparable assessments of their antibacterial efficacy are scarce. Objectives: This study sought to investigate the phytochemical profiles and antibacterial activity of Typha angustifolia and Echinops ritro utilising extracts derived from various solvents and plant components. Methods: Plant specimens were gathered from the Aravali range (Rajasthan, India), shade-dried, and subjected to sequential solvent extraction utilising water, ethanol, chloroform, and petroleum ether. Standard qualitative and quantitative assays were used to do phytochemical screening. The disc diffusion method was used to test antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas putida, and Pseudomonas syringae. We used GC–MS analysis to find bioactive chemicals. Results: Both plant species demonstrated a wide range of antibacterial activity, with petroleum ether extracts displaying the largest inhibitory zones. Echinops ritro (dry root extract) exhibited the most substantial inhibition (12.8 mm against P. syringae), but Typha angustifolia (dry root extract) displayed considerable inhibition (11.0 mm against S. aureus). Phytochemical analysis verified the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids. GC–MS profiling identified bioactive components including n-hexadecanoic acid, squalene, lupeol, stigmasterol, and phytol compounds recognised for their significant antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Conclusions: The results confirm the ethnomedicinal significance of T. angustifolia and E. ritro as effective antibacterial agents. The increased activity in petroleum ether and chloroform extracts suggests the involvement of lipophilic phytoconstituents in antibacterial effectiveness. These findings underscore the potential of both plants as viable sources for the development of plant-based antimicrobial agents, necessitating additional isolation and pharmacological assessment of active chemicals.